#stuartlancaster

[josephfrady]

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[sharplinesrugby]

The Vote of Confidence

Yesterday, Stuart Lancaster and his support team were given the ultimate stamp of approval from the suits at HQ. A contract until 2020 isn't just an obligation to ensure Lancaster remains at the helm of English Rugby instead of moving elsewhere but it is also a real statement of intent from the RFU. An organisation heavily ridiculed in recent years particularly between the success of 2003 and the catastrophic 2011 Rugby World Cup, seems to have finally got its act together.

Andy Robinson, Brian Ashton, Martin Johnson and Rob Andrew were all given a trial in the hottest of hot-seats in English rugby, that combined an effort that brought the red rose men one World Cup final at least but no Six Nations grand slams and very little exciting rugby. It had been a dark decade for English rugby. But then came Stuart Lancaster. A school teacher. A real student of management theory, but an international head coach? As it turns out, yes. He has brought a whole new angle to English rugby and what is so impressive is how he has got every single player that has come into or remotely near the England set-up to buy into his mission. Players that had fallen out of favour not just with coaches but also fans, such as Danny Cipriani, Dylan Hartley, and now Chris Ashton, have all noticeably upped their game and seem to have a new born mentality to add to their world-class physical skill-sets. It must be said this hasn't all been down to Lancaster. The trio of Andy Farrell, Graham Rowntree and Mike Catt have such likeable qualities and demand total respect from the players that it is no wonder why the coaching team have had such success. They all know what it takes to wear an England shirt and perform on the biggest stage of all so it can only be beneficial for the class of 2015 to be learning from them.

The new long term deal signed by these men has come with the caveat that there will be a performance review post-World Cup, but that is to be expected for any job where success is measured largely on performance at an event that takes place every four years. The contract is certainly not without its critics. Sir Clive Woodward has unsurprisingly said he is not pleased with the move sighting that it may give the opposition that extra 1% advantage due to 'sub-conscious complacency'. I would be surprised if many agree with him. The benefit of this deal has not been to give Lancaster and co security, more importantly they have quantified the national opinion that they are doing a fantastic job, and good on them for doing so.

Written by Andy Southall